Close-in illumination module

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to optical systems, vehicles, and methods that are configured to illuminate and image a wide field of view of an environment. An example optical system includes a camera having an optical axis and an outer lens element disposed along the optical axis. The optical system also includes a plurality of illumination modules, each of which includes at least one light-emitter device configured to emit light along a respective emission axis and a secondary optical element optically coupled to the at least one light-emitter device. The secondary optical element is configured to provide a light emission pattern having an azimuthal angle extent of at least 170 degrees so as to illuminate a portion of an environment of the optical system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 operating an optical system in a first operating mode, the optical system comprising a camera and a plurality of illumination modules; 
 receiving information indicative of an operating temperature of the optical system; 
 determining that the operating temperature of the optical system is outside of a predetermined temperature range; and 
 in response to determining that the operating temperature of the optical system is outside of the predetermined temperature range, operating the optical system in a second operating mode. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first operating mode comprises operating the plurality of illumination modules at a standard illumination rate, wherein the second operating mode comprises operating the plurality of illumination modules at a reduced illumination rate, wherein the reduced illumination rate is less than the standard illumination rate. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first operating mode comprises operating the plurality of illumination modules at a standard illumination intensity, wherein the second operating mode comprises operating the plurality of illumination modules at a reduced illumination intensity, wherein the reduced illumination intensity is less than the standard illumination intensity. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first operating mode comprises operating the optical system at a standard temporal resolution, wherein the second operating mode comprises operating the optical system at a lower temporal resolution, wherein the lower temporal resolution is lower than the standard temporal resolution. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first operating mode comprises controllably operating the plurality of illumination modules, wherein the second operating mode comprises disabling at least a portion of the plurality of illumination modules. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operating temperature of the optical system is greater than a predetermined elevated temperature threshold. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second operating mode comprises increasing a cooling rate of a thermal management device connected with the optical system. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the thermal management device comprises at least one of: a cooling fin, a liquid cooling system, and a heat sink. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving information indicative of the operating temperature of the optical system comprises obtaining the information from a temperature sensor of the optical system. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises at least one of: a thermometer, a thermistor, a thermocouple, and a bandgap temperature sensor. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 synchronously operating the camera and the plurality of illumination modules based on one or more focal plane shutter times associated with the camera. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of illumination modules emit light at the same time as an image capture is triggered at the camera. 
     
     
       13. An optical system comprising:
 a camera, wherein the camera comprises an optical axis and an outer lens element disposed along the optical axis; 
 an illumination module, wherein the illumination module comprises an at least one light-emitter device configured to emit light along an emission axis; and 
 a controller comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the controller is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory so as to carry out operations, the operations comprising:
 operating the optical system in a first operating mode; 
 receiving information indicative of an operating temperature of the optical system; 
 determining that the operating temperature of the optical system is outside of a predetermined temperature range; and 
 
 in response to determining that the operating temperature of the optical system is outside of the predetermined temperature range, operating the optical system in a second operating mode. 
 
     
     
       14. The optical system of  claim 13 , wherein the first operating mode comprises operating the illumination module at a standard illumination rate, wherein the second operating mode comprises operating the illumination module at a reduced illumination rate, wherein the reduced illumination rate is less than the standard illumination rate. 
     
     
       15. The optical system of  claim 13 , wherein the first operating mode comprises operating the illumination module at a standard illumination intensity, wherein the second operating mode comprises operating the illumination module at a reduced illumination intensity, wherein the reduced illumination intensity is less than the standard illumination intensity. 
     
     
       16. The optical system of  claim 13 , wherein the first operating mode comprises operating the optical system at a standard temporal resolution, wherein the second operating mode comprises operating the optical system at a lower temporal resolution, wherein the lower temporal resolution is lower than the standard temporal resolution. 
     
     
       17. The optical system of  claim 13 , further comprising a thermal management device, wherein the operating temperature of the optical system is greater than a predetermined elevated temperature threshold, and wherein the second operating mode comprises increasing a cooling rate of the thermal management device. 
     
     
       18. The optical system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second illumination module, wherein the second illumination module comprises an at least one second light-emitter device configured to emit light along a second emission axis. 
 
     
     
       19. The optical system of  claim 18 , wherein the first operating mode comprises controllably operating the illumination module and the second illumination module, wherein the second operating mode comprises disabling at least one of the illumination module and the second illumination module. 
     
     
       20. The optical system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor, wherein receiving information indicative of the operating temperature of the optical system comprises obtaining the information from the temperature sensor.